In operations which use a continuous supply of web material such as paper, cloth, or netting it has been customary to feed the using process from a first roll while having a second roll standing by to be used upon the first roll running out of material. Some means for splicing the leading edge of the web from the reserve roll to the supply web is necessary in order to enable continuous supply without interruption for splicing. In the prior art, this has been accomplished by providing a festoon from which a short-term supply of web can be drawn while the supply web and reserve web are stopped and attached together and the reserve roll accelerated to operating speed. This type of process is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,841,944 and 3,836,089. The present invention seeks to avoid the complications inherent in stopping the web supply.